Report: Top-Secret 2K Studio Working On New BioShock

A new report reveals a secret studio from publisher 2K is working on a new entry in the acclaimed BioShock series.

Kotaku news editor Jason Schreier in a feature titled “How The Makers of Mafia III Lost Their Way” researched developer Hangar 13’s changes in the past year and a half. Top members, ranging from Mafia III’s senior producers to design leads and its art director, were laid off in February or moved on to different avenues in the industry. Others, however, “moved to the top-secret studio next door to work on an unannounced new BioShock game,” Schreier reports. He also says in a tweet that it’s a 2K studio behind the project.

Among other details I learned while reporting this story: Right next to Hangar 13, a top-secret 2K studio is now working on a top-secret new BioShock game.

Our TakeThough Schreier didn’t specifically name the 2K branch, it’s worth noting Hangar 13 and now-defunct 2K Marin, the latter being the BioShock 2 developers, are and were, respectively, located in Novato, California. Some members of 2K Marin were reallocated possibly to a new California Bay Area branch that was founded by Gears of War’s Rod Fergusson. This year also marks the fifth anniversaries of BioShock Infinite and 2K Marin’s last game, The Bureau: XCOM Declassified. Perhaps that studio has since been working on this BioShock title. It will feel strange knowing the keys to the BioShock kingdom are in the hands of someone who isn’t Ken Levine, but this 2K studio with former 2K Marin members – fully assuming this is the secret developer and that’s where those guys went – would be worthy successors. BioShock 2 is a solid game, and Minerva’s Den is nothing short of excellence in story content.